A total of 70,000 supermarkets have been opened in China's rural areas in 2005, a step to improve rural consumption environment, said sources with the Ministry of Commerce recently.

These countryside supermarkets are part of China's ongoing program to establish 250,000 new-type rural stores in most counties across China for the 2005-2008 period. The program was started in February, 2005.

The Central Government plans to earmark 60 million yuan (US$7.4 million) and take measures to attract social capital for the program.

As a trial of the program, the 70,000 rural supermarkets were established by 1,150 companies in 777 counties, said the ministry of commerce.

According to an investigation to 10,000 rural people, jointly launched by the ministry and the China Agriculture University recently, 95 percent of the group applauded for these new rural supermarkets, which were regarded convenient for shopping.

The investigation shows that commodities in these supermarkets were better sold than before, with the prices dropping 10-15 percent.

Economic experts said the program will not only create a better shopping environment in China's rural areas, but will stimulate the country's 900-million-people-large rural consumption market.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2006)